VIPERSWEB's SparkPeople Bloghttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal.asp?id=VIPERSWEB
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Friday, Friday, Fridayhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5434527
So I'm feeling blah and have been for the last couple of days. Getting the motivation to do exercise is... really difficult at the moment. A part of me knows, knows, knows that the instant I finish the yoga routine, I'll feel better, but there is another part of me that just doesn't want to do it. <BR>
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Guess which part I've been listening to. <BR>
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No, that is unfair to me. I did do at least some yoga all week until today. And I still have time to do it today too. <BR>
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I'm...Fri, 26 Jul 2013 18:14:34 ESTFitness Video Review: Power Yoga for Every Bodyhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5432140
Those who've visited my blog, know that I generally use yoga as my main means of fitness. As I mentioned yesterday, living in a tiny apartment in NYC, where space was a premium, meant I went for fitness videos that prioritized a small amount of equipment. Yoga fits that description to a 't' and believe me - with some of the practices, you are going to feel it. <BR>
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I decided to review this video first because when the title state 'every body' they really mean it. This video contains rou...Wed, 24 Jul 2013 17:09:21 ESTFitness Video Review: Jillian Michael's 30 Days Shredhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5430671
As I mentioned yesterday, I have been somewhat frustrated by the fitness videos I have. Some are great, some are okay and some are good but aren't as they were advertised. So, I figured I'd share with Spark People what I think of the ones I buy. I'm going to do one review a day. <BR>
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To start off with, I use fitness videos in part because when I first decided to get more healthy and more fit, I lived in a tiny apartment in NYC. Anyone familiar with NYC is aware that gym memberships are ...Tue, 23 Jul 2013 13:37:07 ESTWeekend wrap uphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5429519
This weekend was largely an exercise in frustration when it came to eating food. While I didn't make unhealthy food choices, I certainly didn't eat all that I should have. On Sat. I ate my first meal after 2PM; my lunch was a protein shake. Sunday was slightly better in that I had breakfast at 10 and lunch at 2ish. But still, not the best weekend for eating food. <BR>
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Fitness wise, though, I did quite well. I did 60 minutes of fitness on Saturday - a pilates/yoga fusion workout and 40 ...Mon, 22 Jul 2013 14:54:02 ESTAn okay dayhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5426834
Didn't do cardio but did do 40 min of yoga. Ate out but had sashimi, and edamame. <BR>
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Goals for tomorrow: <BR>
- yoga <BR>
- drink 8 glasses of water <BR>
- eat healthy dinner.Fri, 19 Jul 2013 21:35:05 ESTBack to circuit traininghttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5425467
Last time I tried to lose weight, I was learning how to do yoga at the same time I tried Jillian Michael's 30 days to shred workout. The work out is circuit training, with three circuits made up of 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs. Last time, I tried it and well... it was tough. And I think it is part of the reason I stopped doing stuff. <BR>
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This time, I've been doing yoga on and off for the last two or three months, with the last month and half being mos...Thu, 18 Jul 2013 14:38:43 ESTStart of new weekhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5424706
Good news: <BR>
- lost two pounds <BR>
- can do at least three real push-ups at once. Might be more but because I discovered this by doing a new yoga flow, I am not sure how many I can actually do. <BR>
- ate pretty well, but i still have calories to eat for the day. <BR>
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Not so good: <BR>
- meant to do both cardio and yoga today but only did yoga. <BR>
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Goals for week: <BR>
- really only one and that is to step up fitness. <BR>
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Goals for tomorrow: <BR>
- drink 8 gl...Wed, 17 Jul 2013 22:34:48 ESTGood dayhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5423495
Today is technically the end of my week since I started on a Wednesday. Today was also a good day, which I am doubly pleased about because I was doing a lot of errands. <BR>
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After dropping my husband off at work, I came home and made kasha for breakfast. Kasha is essentially buck wheat. I made it with water instead of milk. I added a tablespoon of milk after it cooked and then ate it. It was a yummy and nutritious meal. <BR>
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I also upped my exercise. I usually do either yoga or ...Tue, 16 Jul 2013 21:40:16 ESTProtein powder recs?http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5422340
After almost a month of tracking my nutritional information, I have come to an unfortunate conclusion. Simply put, I have issues with eating enough protein each day. As such, I've decided to give protein shakes a try. As tomorrow is shopping day, I'd like some recs on protein powders. What's good? What should I avoid? Anyone have a favorite? <BR>
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Thanks! <BR>
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In other news; Goals for tomorrow: <BR>
- Drink 8 glasses of water <BR>
- 20 minutes cardio; 30 minutes yoga <BR>
- Eat a ...Mon, 15 Jul 2013 21:31:10 ESTYoga and lentils, oh my!http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5421214
I received a query as to which movie I saw yesterday; we saw 'Whitehouse Down.' While it wasn't a classic of cinema, we enjoyed it. It was exactly what was advertised, i.e. lots of action, some quips, decent enough acting, and a solid 'Die Hard' clone. <BR>
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Today was a good day, though I didn't eat enough calories. So I guess I should amend that statement. I did eat super healthy though. But I'll get back to that in a moment. <BR>
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I did do my 20 minutes of strength yoga. It is n...Sun, 14 Jul 2013 23:03:02 ESTSaturday funhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5420214
My husband and I went to the movies today. I did not have any movie snacks and in fact just walking past the concession stand made me nauseas. <BR>
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I did not do 30 minutes of yoga but I did manage to do 15. Better than nothing. <BR>
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Have been tired all day and fighting off a migraine which is part of the reason for not doing all I said I would. <BR>
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Goals for tomorrow: <BR>
- healthy breakfast and lunch. <BR>
- drink 8 glasses of water. <BR>
- try for 20 minutes of yoga...Sat, 13 Jul 2013 22:22:26 ESTPushing throughhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5419311
Today has been a good day. I have eaten right and did my fitness. I even met all my goals for the day. I titled this entry pushing through in part b/c I am feeling a bit under the weather. <BR>
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Some positives for the day: <BR>
- ate 3 fruits/veggies today <BR>
- can now hold plank position for a while without feeling like crying *and* I can do a yoga push-up and hold it before transitioning into upward dog. <BR>
- drank my 8 glasses plus of water and the day isn't over yet. <BR>
- d...Fri, 12 Jul 2013 22:25:15 ESTWhat does Health mean?http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5418375
This prompt intrigued me. What does health mean to me? Eating healthy and doing some sort of fitness a day definitely fall into that rubric. Eating healthy means eating more fruits and veggies, making my own marinades and rubs and relying less on 'easy' prepared foods. <BR>
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But being healthy means more than eating right and exercising; it means doing what I can to lessen the stress in my life. It means being politically active on issues that are important to me and it means reading new...Thu, 11 Jul 2013 23:17:23 ESTEnd of week 3http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5417335
Yes, it is Wednesday, and not Saturday, but my 'week' starts and ends on Wednesday, because that is when I resumed Spark People. <BR>
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Not surprisingly, given my lack of exercise for most of last week and the issues I had with eat, I did not lose any weight. However, I also didn't gain any weight and that is a good thing. <em>30</em> <BR>
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Today I did well. I had cottage cheese and cantaloupe for breakfast with a cup of coffee, spinach and artichoke hummus and pita chips for a ...Wed, 10 Jul 2013 23:56:25 ESTKeeping at ithttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5416191
So I had an entry, but because I used html, it got erased. I'm not pleased. So this posting will be much shorter and less informative. <BR>
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Put in a 15 minute power yoga work out. Hoping to do a longer one tomorrow. <BR>
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Tomorrow's Goals: <BR>
-- Eat a 'real' breakfast that doesn't consist of a luna bar or cereal. <BR>
-- Drink 8 glasses of water <BR>
-- Do a longer yoga or dance routine.Wed, 10 Jul 2013 00:49:05 ESTBack on track?http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5414511
I've been slacking these last few days. Oh, not with my diet, but really, with the exception of a few changes, my diet has been healthy even before I joined Spark People. I prefer to eat whole wheat products, I adore yogurt and cottage cheese and usually eat that for breakfast and I love veggies. While I can eat an unhealthy meal every so often, I don't really like fatty products or excessive sweets. <BR>
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I blame my up bringing - though saying I blame it is really a lie. I was the chi...Mon, 8 Jul 2013 15:22:02 ESTBlah dayhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5411996
Today was a blah day. It doesn't help that my stomach is bothering me either. I did eat well, even if I did go under some of my nutritional goals. I did not exercise though, which was bad of me. I would have tonight but my stomach is not feeling up to it. <BR>
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Goals: <BR>
-- Eat a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner <BR>
-- Drink 8 glasses of water <BR>
-- Do at least 15 minutes of fitness <BR>
Sat, 6 Jul 2013 00:49:01 ESTHappy 4th of July and other musingshttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5410757
To my fellow Americans, Happy 4th of July! <BR>
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This morning, I got up relatively early but felt lazy so didn't make breakfast. By the time my husband and I were ready to eat, it was already noon, so we went out. We decided on Outback, which was fine but my food choices were not. <BR>
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Even though I didn't finish my meal, I still ate a ton of calories and I definitely didn't make the smart choices. Yes, it is just one day, but I'm trying to keep out of a cycle of doing the easy t...Thu, 4 Jul 2013 15:29:38 ESTAnother week and well...http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5409749
I've been slacking a bit. I have been eating healthy and keeping track of what I've been eating - though some of it is hit or miss because of various rl complications. I didn't bother inputting anything over the weekend or Monday until yesterday. I really haven't been around on SP either. <BR>
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The Good: <BR>
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-- By and large, have eaten healthy. <BR>
-- Have exercised at least 15 minutes a day at a minimum. <BR>
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The Bad: <BR>
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-- Motivation is much lower. <BR>
-- Fee...Wed, 3 Jul 2013 14:48:58 ESTThursday funhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5403648
I managed, yesterday, to complete all my goals. I pushed in an extra 15 minutes of yoga after dinner. I met my nutrition goals and I got a good night's sleep. <BR>
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This morning, I woke up and had a healthy breakfast of cottage cheese and fresh cantaloupe. And of course, my one cup of coffee for the day. I did a 45 minute power yoga routine which was quite challenging. I really need to work on my upper body because I can't do certain moves at all. Specifically, anything that requires me...Thu, 27 Jun 2013 14:32:12 ESTMid week and one week inhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5402549
Thanks for the support for yesterday - it definitely helps. <BR>
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I had a fairly long entry and then lost it to the ether... am not in the mood to re-type it all now, so in the future, there will be a long post about my diet, both in the past and currently. <BR>
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In the week since I re-started with Spark People, I've managed to do a minimum of 15 minutes of exercise each day. I've kept track of all my meals and have paid attention to what I've been eating. Sort of. And I've lost tw...Wed, 26 Jun 2013 14:40:11 ESTSome Bad Newshttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5401316
As mentioned previously, I gave blood last week; my blood donation center provides health info on your blood at their website after you log in and one of those is the cholesterol level. I logged in yesterday and found out that my cholesterol is above the 'healthy' marker by about 25 points. This is a bit worrisome for me as I hadn't even realized that this would be a concern. <BR>
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Needless to say, I'm in a bit of a tailspin. I thought my diet was pretty good and I am exercising. I'm sli...Tue, 25 Jun 2013 11:54:24 ESTMonday, Mondayhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5400361
I woke up earlier than usual since I needed to drive my husband to work; after returning home, I ate my breakfast (1 c. of Quaker Oats Oatmeal Squares and a cup of coffee) before taking our car to be serviced. A little over an hour later, I returned home and had a snack (Siggi's Pomegranate-Passionfruit 0% Yogurt) and caught up on the world. Fun, no? <BR>
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Just finished a half hour of power yoga, which always makes me feel good and will have lunch shortly. I hope to squeeze in a less int...Mon, 24 Jun 2013 15:09:31 ESTEnd of the weekendhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5399440
Happy to report that I'm still going strong when it comes to working out. Even though I had a busy day today, I managed to squeeze in a 15 minute power yoga session that was both fun and a little challenging. Very fun for me! <BR>
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Foodwise... I probably could have had more healthful choices. Part of it is just this is a lazy day foodwise for me. I'm attending an online con and didn't have time to cook today. However, considering that I normally eat quite healthful, I am not going to str...Sun, 23 Jun 2013 19:37:44 ESTGood deeds and good yogahttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5397501
Yesterday ended up being a good day. I made a new meal that was tasty and very healthy. My husband and I went to the movies and neither of us bought snacks, so that was good. Did make the mistake of drinking far too much water beforehand, but there are worse things. :) <BR>
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My husband's work had a blood drive this morning, so I went and gave blood. It is something I like to do when I can. <BR>
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after running some errands, I came home and did a Latin Dance workout video. I am not th...Fri, 21 Jun 2013 15:09:29 ESTDay 2 and still motivatedhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5396358
The enthusiasm, which I find so central to keeping motivated, is still high. I had forgotten both the time sink and just motivation that comes from visting SparkPeople and the various articles. Perhaps I would have put this off until later today except that one of the articles emailed to me this morning was on migraines. As I suffer from migraines, I eagerly clicked on the link and well... once done, I got sucked in. <BR>
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I can't really complain about that. <BR>
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Yesterday, I trie...Thu, 20 Jun 2013 13:29:07 EST... and we're back.http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5395331
So life takes us on weird journeys and sometimes we're able to keep up with our goals and sometimes, they fall to the wayside. I don't really have any excuse for not keeping up with a regular exercise regime. I just... stopped. And getting back into it was difficult, compounded by the very many life changes that occurred. <BR>
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I'm now living in a new city, struggling to find a job while providing emotional support to my husband, who is going through a ton of stress. Since I moved three...Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:50:38 ESTA week in...http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=4984562
The end of last week (Friday and Saturday) were a bit of a failure for me. <BR>
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I knew that Friday was going to be a 'cheat day' but I didn't realize how much of one. I had a girl's night out and we went to a Russian restaurant. If you've ever had Russian food, then you know it's heavy, with a lot of mayo, cream, cheese, etc... Since I went with two Russians, we had 6 appetizers to split between 6 of us and a main dish. I could have chosen a better main dish, but since it was a treat, I...Tue, 24 Jul 2012 09:37:39 ESTAn Odd Dayhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=4978551
Today was an odd day. Once again, I failed at my goal of having a good night's sleep. I suspect I will not be having one until about a week from now. <BR>
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My stomach was slightly unhappy with me when I woke, so I opted just to sip my coffee in the morning instead of eating breakfast. I was quite clumsy and ended up spilling half of it on the floor before I left for work. I managed to get some exercise in bright and early as I hurried to my train station, only to miss the train. By the ...Thu, 19 Jul 2012 23:13:00 ESTMidweek & Day 3http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=4976814
Today has been a good day. I met two of my three goals that I set yesterday. <BR>
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I decided to try the 'small meals' method of eating. I'm not sure if it is something I will wholly adopt as I apparently have issues meeting my minimum daily caloric intake but it was an interesting experiment. My normal method of eating is to have breakfast, which until this week consisted of a muffin, lunch, consisting of a sandwich, a container of yogurt and either a piece of fruit or a second container...Wed, 18 Jul 2012 21:21:30 ESTDay 2http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=4975385
Today was an okay day. I woke up sore from the workout I did yesterday and that soreness stayed with me all day. It didn't help that I didn't sleep all that well last night. I suspect stress is a factor for that. <BR>
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We'll start with the bad: I had chinese food for lunch. I've not had the sesame chicken from the place we ordered so wasn't aware that it was battered and then fried in the sauce, which seemed to be mostly sugar. Yes, it tasted good but... not enough veggies to make me fe...Tue, 17 Jul 2012 23:30:29 ESTSo it beginshttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=4973534
Got off to an okay start with the whole health & fitness thing. I did meet my daily goals, which is good. I'm hoping I can motivate myself to continue doing so. <BR>
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The plan for today was to actually start exercising. I haven't done a "real" workout in years. Sadly, I probably wouldn't have started had I not gained 30 some lbs. in far too short a period. Last night, I purchased Season 1 of "Jillian Michaels 30 Days Shred" so after purchasing a scale to keep track of my weight, I set...Mon, 16 Jul 2012 21:17:35 EST